Can carrier



CAN CARRIER Filed April 20, 1964 INVENTOR. e 1 Clyde E Jadksan BY WWW United States Patent 3,188,034 CAN CR Clyde E. Jackson, 1028 S. Shasta Ave., Stockton, Calif. Filed Apr. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 361,034 6 Ciaims. (Cl. 248-203) This invention relates to carriers for a certain type of relatively large cans which are adapted to carry extra supplies of fuel or water on the outside of Jeeps, trucks and the like.

Such cans are customarily of a five gallon capacity, of generally rectangular form, and are provided on top with at least one horizontal lifting handle or grip of circular form in cross section and disposed somewhat close to one side of the can. Also, a depending bead extends about the bottom of the can. a

The major object of the present invention is to provide a carrier-for such a canadapted to be mounted on the outside of a vehicle; the carrier being formed with means to engage the bead of the can in supporting relation, and with other means to then engage and clamp the handle of the can against the adjacent portion of said carrier.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a carrier, as in the preceding paragraph, wherein said other means also includes an arrangement which prevents possible rattling of the can, and provides for the locking of the can against unauthorized removal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can carrier which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable can carrier and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusual of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the improved can carrier as mounted in place, with the can removed therefrom but indicated in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the carrier, with the can i mounted thereon and locked against removal.

FIG. 3 is a transverse foreshortened and enlarged vertical section of the can carrier taken on line 33 of FIG. 1, together with a supported and locked can, partly broken out and in section.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the can carrier and can, before the latter is locked against removal, and taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the can'l to be carried is one of conventional form, of five gallon capacity, and adaptedto be carried on a motor vehicle to provide an extra supply of fuel for the operation of the vehicle or to hold water.

Such can 1 is of generally rectangular form in plan, and considerably wider along its opposite sides 2 than at its ends 3. The bottom 4 of the can is raised relative to the bottom outer edge of the can so as to provide a depending bead 5 all about said edge.

' At the top, the can 1 is provided with a plurality of handles 6 which are spaced from each other and which extend lengthwise of and parallel to the long sides 2 of the can, as shown in FIG. 2; the handles being cir- 1 cular in cross section, as shown in FIG. 3.

The improved carrierfrom which such a can is supp ortedcornprises a rigid, vertical, heavy duty metallic strap 7 adapted to be secured by bolts 8 to a body or 3,18%,d34 Patented June 8, 1965 frame portion 9 of a Jeep, truck or similar vehicle. At the lower end, the strap is formed with an outwardly extending upturned lip 10 which defines an upwardly opening groove for the reception and seating of the adjacent part of the head 5 when the can is disposed with one side thereof closely facing said strap and with the latter disposed intermediate the ends of said can.

Swivelly mounted in the strap 7 a short distance above the major top surface 11 of the can 1 is the forwardly projecting lower end 12 of an elongated bolt 13 which curves forwardly and upwardly from said end 12, as at 14. The curved portion 14 passes about and engages the forward edge of the adjacent handle or grip 6, and thence extends upwardly as a straight threaded portion 15.

The upper end portion 16 of the strap 7above the lower end 12 of bolt 13is formed with a forward and upward curve which is adapted to engage over the rear upper surface of said handle 6 and extends a short distance forwardly thereof.

The upper end portion 16 of the strap 7 is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 17 open to the outer end of said portion 16 and through which slot the straight threaded portion 15 of the bolt 13 passes from below with a clearance fit.

A specially formed wing nut 18-having an elongated and flat base 19is threaded onto the bolt portion 15 above the slotted strap end. The fiat base19 is provided with a pair of holes 20 of the same size and disposed equal distances on opposite sides of the engaged bolt. The strap portion 16, to one side of the slot 17, is provided with a hole 21 therethrough the same size as the holes 20, and positioned to register with one or the other of the same when the flat base 19 is disposed transversely of said strap portion 16. Also, such registering of the holes takes place when the bolt 13 is snugly engaged with the adjacent handle 6, as shown in FIG. 3, to bind said handle against the underside of strap portion 16 and thereby prevent the bead 5 from accidentally escaping the grooveformed by lip 10, all as hereinafter described in detail.

Further, the registering holes 20 and 21 may receive the shank 22 of a conventional padlock 23.

To mount a can 1 on the carrier, the bolt 13 is first swung forwardly so that the straight threaded portion 15 will clear the slot 17; this movement being possible by reason of the fact that the opening 24 in the strap 7 and through which the bolt end 12 projects in turnable relation, is formed to allow of a limited amount of swinging movement of the bolt 13 in a vertical plane. .The bolthaving been thus swung to clear the slot 17-is then turned downwardly to the position indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 4. Before so doing, the wing nut 18 must, of course, either be removed from the bolt, or at least retracted thereon sufficiently to enable said wing nut to clear the outer end of the strap portion 16 as the bolt is turned down about the bolt end 12 as an axis.

The can 1 is then manually lifted and-with one side 2 facing the strap 7is manipulated so that the depending bead 5 engages in the groove formed by lip 10 substantially midway of said side of the can. Supported by said lip, the can is then swung rearwardly so that the adjacent handle 6 engages under the strap portion 16. While the can is held in such position, the bolt 13 is turned up and then swung rearwardly so that the straight threaded portion 15 thereof enters the slot 17, and said bolt engages the forward side of the handle 6.

i The wing nut 18 is then advanced or run downward on the bolt portion 15 so as to tightly engage the strap portion 16 on top. This maintains the bolttogether with the strap portion 16-in clamping engagement with the handle 6. The wing nut is, of course, always tightened sufficiently to place one or the other of the holes 20 in register with the hole 21 so that the padlock 23 may be applied.

By reason of the described structure of the carrier, it will be seen that not only is the can held in a firm and rattle-proof position, but its unauthorized removal is prevented by the padlock 23.

Apart from the prevention of theft, the padlock 23 assures against possible loosening of the wing nut and bolt such as might be caused by the movement of the vehicle, on which the can is mounted, over rough terrain. This, therefore, is a safety feature in that the can must remain tightly clamped to the carrier.

Further, as the handle 6 is forcefully engaged against the underside of the forwardly and upwardly curved upper end portion of the strap, such engagement tends to thrust the can in a downward direction and to positively hold the head in the groove formed by lip 10.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced a can carrier which substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the can carrier, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the inventi-on, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. A carrier for a can having a horizontally extending handle spaced above the top adjacent and substantially parallel to one side of said can, and a depending bead at the lower edge of said side; the carrier comprising a rigid vertical strap adapted to be secured to a vehicle, an outwardly projecting lip across the strap at the bottom forming an upwardly opening groove for the reception of the can bead, and means provided with the strap at the top for detachable clamping engagement with said handle; said means including a curved portion on the upper end of the strap extending over and engaging said handle, a member mounted at its lower end on the strap below the curved portion thereof and shaped to extend upwardly from its lower end in front of said handle, and means to releasably secure the member to said curved strap portion so as to clamp the handle between said member and said curved strap portion.

2. A carrier, as in claim 1, in which the member is a bolt, and the curved strap portion is formed with a slot open to one edge thereof and through which slot the upper portion of the bolt is adapted to removably pass; said last named means being a wing nut threaded on the bolt above but bearing on said curved strap portion.

3. A carrier, as in claim 2, in which the wing nut is provided with a hole therethrough to one side of the bolt, and said curved strap portion is provided with a similar hole to register with the wing nut hole to then receive the shank of a padlock therethrough.

4. A carrier, as in claim 1, in which the member is a bolt, and the curved strap portion is formed with a slot extending lengthwise and open to the outer end thereof, the upper portion of the bolt removably passing through the slot, and the bolt being mounted in the strap so that said bolt may be swung down until the upper portion of the latter clears the slot; said last named means being a wing nut threaded on the upper portion of the bolt above "but bearing on said curved strap portion.

5. A carrier, as in claim 4, in which the bolt is also mounted in the strap for rotation, when clear of the slot, about its connection with the strap as an axis.

6. A carrier for a can having a horizontally extending handle spaced above the top adjacent and substantially parallel to one side of said can, and a depending bead at the lower edge of said side; the carrier comprising a rigid vertical strap adapted to be secured to a vehicle, a lower part of the strap projecting forwardly and defining an upwardly facing groove in which said bead seats, an upper part of the strap projecting over and engaging the handle, and clamping means extending from the strap at a point below the handle, thence in front of the latter,

and then detachably connected to said upper part of the strap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,185,255 5/16 Smith 220-18 1,353,853 9/20 Sandberg 248-311 1,361,339 12/20 Knobloc'k 248-311 3,104,860 9/63 Brittain 248-313 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner. 

1. A CARRIER FOR CAN HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING HANDLE SPACED ABOVE THE TOP ADJACENT AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO ONE SIDE OF SAID CAN, AND A DEPENDING BEAD AT THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID SIDE; THE CARRIER COMPRISING A RIGID VERTICAL STRAP ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A VEHICLE, AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING LIP ACROSS THE STRAP AT THE BOTTOM FORMING AN UPWARDLY OPENING GROOVE FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE CAN BEAD, AND MEANS PROVIDED WITH THE STRAP AT THE TOP FOR DETACHABLE CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HANDLE; SAID MEANS INCLUDING A CURVED PORTION ON THE UPPER END OF THE STRAP EXTENDING OVER AND ENGAGING SAID 